


Bonding

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Episode Related: finklemansfolly, M/M, None - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 03:32:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/793531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blair needs to calm down, and Jim helps. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bonding

## Bonding

by Sammy

Author's homepage: <http://members.tripod.com/~LittleSammy/index.htm>

Disclaimer: Not mine. Just played with them. Put 'em back unharmed. 

Note: This is a missing scene for 'Finkelman's Folly', but doesn't contain any spoilers, as far as I know. It happens right after the scene were Finkelman pulls Blair's ride-along authorization. 

Oh, and the last line is borrowed from my favorite Immortal, whom my soulmate Nikita managed to put back into my mind, and now he won't keep quiet. ;) 

This one is for Danny, who told me to "Write this!!!" :) 

* * *

When Jim Ellison walked out of the office that now belonged to Cascade PD's new Captain, his eyes immediately scanned the room for his partner and friend. His friend, he corrected himself, who was no longer allowed to be his partner. 

His sweeping gaze found Sandburg leaning against their side of the desk, arms crossed defiantly in front of his chest, eyes fixed on the ground on a point near his toes, but flicking up as he heard Jim's approach. Their eyes met, just for a brief moment, but it was enough. Jim heard the silent curse slip out of Sandburg's mouth as the younger one turned and fled. 

"Sandburg!" he shouted, but there was no reaction except a sharp intake of breath that could have meant anything from anger to pain to lust. Jim started to run. 

* * *

It took him a while to locate Blair, but when he finally tuned up his hearing, he could filter out Sandburg's voice as an angry stream of words that led him downstairs. He found his friend in the parking lot, pacing back and forth in an angry pattern. 

"Sandburg!" he growled. "Running away when we need to talk is not nice." 

But Blair didn't miss a step, didn't even slow down, just began to direct his protests toward Jim. More or less. "This is not good, man. _Definitely_ not good." 

Jim sighed at the strong emotion showing in his friend's voice. "I know, Blair." When the other didn't react, Ellison crossed his path and stepped in front of him, trying to keep Blair still, if even for a few moments. "But I think I can manage for a while. You know that I didn't have a zone-out in weeks." He watched Blair shake his head almost violently and continued. "And this won't be permanent, buddy, I swear. Once Simon is back on the job..." 

Hands touched his chest briefly, pushing him back in a burst of emotion. "No, Jim, you don't understand. This is no longer just about you zoning, man." The hands left his body and went back to quick and nervous motions. "And it definitely doesn't stop with Simon getting back." 

Their eyes met, and Jim held his breath as his own feelings did cartwheels for a second. He hadn't realized how serious this really was for his friend. 

After a few moments spent in intense silence Blair sighed and looked away, running a hand through his hair and tousling it even more. "Finkelman had _every_ right to throw me out, and that's what scares me, man. I'm only here because so far no one has questioned Simon's decision to back me up. What if someone else decides I don't belong here anymore?" 

"Relax, chief, that's not gonna happen..." 

"Jim, it happened _right now_ and right in your face!" Blair shouted, angrily slapping the hands away that held his shoulders. 

But Jim moved along with him, grabbing the younger man again to keep him from moving further away. "Blair, I understand that it's not a pleasant situation, but why are you so _damn_ worked up about it?" A rapid gesture that clearly said 'You know nothing, man!', but Jim held on to the smaller man. His eyes narrowed as he received no answer. "I can quote you on having enough material for ten dissertations. The zoning is no longer the big problem it was in the beginning. So why are you so mad about this?" 

Jim's voice had become very quiet and soft while he'd spoken. Now he stared into Blair's face while Sandburg took every effort to keep his eyes fixed on his own hands that had come up to grab Jim's arms, still resting on his shoulders. His fingers flexed again and again, the unconscious movements telling Jim enough about Blair's emotional state to make him frown in concern. 

Finally Blair closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and Jim felt a little tremor run through his friend's body. "It's just that... shit. I mean, I know this is stupid, but I can't help thinking that once... once I'm out of this part of your life... how long will it take until I'm out of your life completely?" 

The question hung between them, and for a while Jim just stared at him in stunned amazement, watched the blue, blue eyes avoiding his, the strong fingers still kneading his forearms. A hundred different responses flooded his mind, none of which he could - or would - ever use, and so he finally went for action rather than words. He pulled Sandburg closer, his face against Jim's chest. 

He felt Blair tense against his body, felt him move his arms stiffly as if unsure whether to hug him back or use him to punch the frustration out of his system. Jim's left hand held Blair's neck in a firm, almost painful grasp, fingers wrapped in the long curls, while his other arm slid along Blair's back, almost crushing him with the force of his embrace. His friend's body was a tense knot in his arms, trembling with suppressed emotion. Close to the breaking point. 

Then Blair sagged against him all of a sudden, wrapping his arms so tightly around Jim it nearly hurt. And Jim took a deep breath that was shaky with relief. 

"It won't happen, chief." he murmured, pressing his face into Blair's neck, burying it into soft curls. He felt the younger man cling to him, shaking, and he moved into the new quality of the embrace with his heart thudding as loud as Blair's. Despite the uncounted little touches and gestures they'd shared, this was something they'd never done before. And yet, it had never felt so right to hold someone. 

He felt Blair move against him, turn his face, and he went with it, his cheek rubbing against Blair's in the comfort only touch could give. "It won't happen, I promise. You'll be a part of my life until the day I die." 

And as he spoke, his mouth completed the motion. Lips brushed against lips, murmuring soft, comforting, senseless words even as they merged. Touching, opening. Breath shared in a small gasp, then completely taken away by the kiss. Desire, starting small, then quickly building in intensity as the strangeness faded. Heat. Lust. Love. 

Closeness, almost overwhelming. 

Then the moment ended, and their lips parted as Jim slowly raised his head, his fingers still tangling with Sandburg's hair, the palm of his hand cupping the younger one's cheek. Very blue eyes met, searching, reassuring, confirming. And Jim - finding in his partner's gaze what he had been looking for - smiled as he trailed the tip of his thumb over full lips. 

"Uhm... guys...?" Joel Taggart's voice disrupted the silence as he cleared his throat. "I don't mean to barge into something, but... uh... you see, Captain Finkelman..." 

Jim stared down at Sandburg, watching his eyes widen with each word, his tell-tale face showing the slowly forming realization that they'd been caught. But Jim just smiled, too content to feel embarrassed, and he gave Blair's cheek a short pat before he slowly turned to face Joel, his arm still around Sandburg's waist. 

"Yes, Joel, she already told me. Look, we have to take a short detour, okay? Drop Sandburg off at the loft." 

"Oh. Oh yeah, sure. No problem, Jim." 

"Good. Then let's get started. C'mon, chief." He moved towards the truck, his hand on Sandburg's back gently nudging him along. Blair, slowly coming out of his state of shock, shot him a quick sideways glance, then got into the truck to squeeze in between Jim and Taggart. 

Jim caught the look, and for a brief moment he wondered why - contrary to his guide - this new situation didn't seem to confuse him at all. And his smile deepened as he climbed into the truck and realized that the alternative would just have been unthinkable. 

* * *

End Bonding.

 


End file.
